Cellphones and mobile devices have become an integrated part of our world and will continue to be for many years to come. Smart devices are the new trend, and will continue to be useful, shaping our future before our very eyes.
Most, if not all of you reading this, are familiar with mobile applications and probably have a few (or many) installed on your smart-device. Mobile applications range from music players to games and even to calculators.
Our world is filled with these carefully crafted programs which means there is someone out-there who creates and tests them before the public market gets to take a peek at them.
Mobile application testing for carefully crafted programs!
Mobile application testing is critical to the success of any mobile application as it takes the application software and tests it for functionality, usability, and consistency. This type of software testing can either be executed manually or automatically.
Unfortunately, mobile testing can end up being time consuming and expensive, but making sure the consumers are happy with the product and have a positive experience using the application is critical to the success of the application.
So why do we need mobile application testing?
If a mobile application is not tested properly, this will result in the consumers finding the flaws and, unlike a software tester, they will usually not report the flaws and will stop using the app altogether.
As with everything in the tech world, there are challenges and obstacles to overcome with mobile application testing.
One of the biggest challenges is the diversity in mobile platforms and devices.
There are numerous different OS for numerous different mobile devices and each one has its own limitations that the testers have to work through.
Now, there are two forms of mobile testing: hardware and software:
Hardware testing involves the internal hardware and processors, screen size and resolution, memory, camera, etc.
Software testing involves the applications found on mobile devices such as native apps, mobile web apps, and hybrid apps.
Each one has a few basic differences that are important to understand during the testing process.
Hardware and software are the two main categories for mobile application testing; however, there are quite a few types of testing that fall under these categories and each one tests a different part of the application.
Each mobile application testing method has pros and cons, and the tester will most likely have to implement a variety of tests to achieve a result that is satisfying:
- Functional testing makes sure the application performs per its requirements.
- Lab testing is carried out by network carriers. They simulate a network to determine if there are any glitches in data connection.
- Performance testing ensures the application can behave under certain conditions.
- Security testing is vital as it checks for vulnerabilities to malicious data and other security standards.
- Load testing ensures the application can handle a mass quantity of user interaction at the same time.
- Usability testing makes sure the mobile app is user friendly and easy to use.
You can read more about Mobile testing in here:
